“sin ken ken”

Dear Reality,Amy here. I Haven’t wanted to speak with you, nor have I given the mere acknowledgment of your presence. You’ve been kind and patient with my aloof behavior and for that I give you great thanks. I’ll admit you exist.

Here I am, willing to be inundated with both the qualms and joys you have to offer back here on planet earth. Thank you for leaving me alone for the past month… your so kind when you want to be. Bali bliss. I tried to choose an array of photos that captured my time in it’s essence. Flipping through the thousands taken was a needed closure… thankfully I was left alone in my self pity to shed my tears of longing pain. It was good though, a solid cry is a rare occurrence, and I was happy to give the salty drops to Bali. The time spent with my love in such a beautiful place was, in it’s truest definition, perfect. Peaceful island traveling. quiet sunsets. sweet smells of coconut oil cooking. incensed alters. offerings of thanks (3x’s a day). motor bike exploring. waterfall hunting. local jam sessions. monsoon rains. unrealistic humidity. sheer sheet sleeps. rice fields. temples. dear friends. art. writing. reading. reflection, relaxation and realization. What more could one want? I woke with the sun every morning and most nights I also went down with it (mentally at least). I’ve never fallen in love so deep with a people and a way of life as I did the Balinese… I haven’t found a suiting “word” yet, but I can come close by describing the general characteristic as both profoundly uplifting and wisely still. Wisdom for in the moment living and daily appreciation follow you with each step… it happens without even knowing it… in my mind, Bali’s greatest gift to all it’s visitors.

morning markets…

textures for the senses…

my next two painting subjects…

what I wore everyday: a headscarf and anything that didn’t touch my skin. T-shirt dresses and oversized linen button ups. I only brought 1 carry-on backpack and still didn’t use half of my belongings. So proud in fact that bruises on my back still remain from the heavy “self pats”.

your first lesson in Balinese, the rightful title of this post… “Sin ken ken” means “No worries.”On another note:Our dearest loveliest following friends,Alex and I came across the most incredible giveaway yesterday while perusing the streets of SF. I’m already turning greedy and thinking of all the ways I could wear it (and while Alex is both giving and kind, I know she shares similar thoughts). It will soon belong to one of you… so, get a head start by clicking the follow button over to your right. Further instructions and images will be posted soon.

Xx Amy “As I get older, I get smaller. I see other parts of the world I didn’t see before. Other points of view. I see outside myself more.” – Neil Young.

26 thoughts on ““sin ken ken””

This was by far one of my favourite of all of your posts – loved it from start to finish – you should be a travel agent you make me want to travel the world so badly!!Bali bliss indeed – added it to my longlonglong list of places to visit and I love the first paragraph – so poetic and beautifully expressed =]Stay safe and chic darling,English Rose xhttp://iamanenglishrose.blogspot.com

amy – darling1 thank you for the lovely words…. always great to hear from you! i;ve share the comment on UnoCosa's facebook ;-)http://www.facebook.com/UnoCosawill be reading this beautiful post b/f going to bed tonight, xx

This is beautiful post, and what an amazing experience…i have a problem adjusting to every day reality after only one week of traveling, so i can imagine what are you going through :)Thank you for sharing, you are too prettyxxx

i really like this post, the photographs and how you read the story. Bali is a very nice place, in fact, that's my favorite holiday spot.anyway, your holiday outfits are super-lovely. i really like seeing you in that oversized shirt. you look lovely!

What a beautiful post. Your pictures are so lovely and inspiring they make me want to go to Bali right now. Oh how wonderful to wake with the warm sun. Glad you had such an amazing time but we are glad your back.XXValerie